Cool Ponds

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Steve and Staci Wicker were phenomenal from start to finish. The work was performed in a timely manner. It took slightly longer than anticipated due to the rain but the workers were here daily and only left if it began lightening. The workers were very professional and were always dressed in Cool Ponds shirts and came in a Cool Ponds truck. Steve oversaw the project and made sure that it met our expectations and that we were happy with the end result. They are a first class company.

Initially I had had difficulty getting in touch with another service and eventually was referred to Cool Ponds. I am so glad that we were. They responded promptly to my request and were able to get me scheduled within a couple of weeks. I received a call from them asking if they could come out earlier than anticipated I was very happy. They arrived early in the morning saw the pond and promptly went to work. The employee Chuck was very professional and diligent about his job. He was tolerant with my questions, since we have just moved into this house and inherited the pond and water feature I was loaded with them. Then it started raining and I went inside and offered Chuck the opportunity to get out of the weather he politely declined and continued working. Within an hour he was done the fish were back in the pond and the whole thing was clean and I was a bit more knowledgable and very happy. A great job.

This is the first time we have had our pondless water features cleaned.  Both needed a repair as well.  The two workers asked if they could come a few days ahead of our appointment.  It was a very cold windy day and I'm glad I was not the one working with water.  They knew very well what they were doing and how to go about it.  Both water falls now are running clear and clean.

The Cool Ponds crew did a great job on our project, installing a pond that guests at our home have always admired and asked about. They worked for a couple of days in all and when they finished they left our yard in excellent condition. I've seen another reviewer complain that the size of his feature was less than he thought he had contracted for and feel I should comment a bit about this issue. The contracted size of our pond was said to be 11' x 16' and I should say that, while it seems smaller, these are the MAXIMUM dimension of the pond at its longest and widest - however, its square footage is somewhat less than one would estimate by multiplying 11 feet by 16 feet since (1) the pond is not perfectly rectangular, and (2) even this is the size of the original excavation and liner and does not take into account the large boulders that line the inner walls of the pond. All in all, I'm very happy with our pond and with Steve's (and Staci's) continuing support and assistance over the past five years.

They were really good.  We've seen them at the Flower and Patio Show, and we've stopped by there a few times.  We talked to them for a long time, and we decided to have a pond put in.  They took couple of months to get into it, but they completed their work in just one day.  They were just really friendly, and they did a nice job!  Of course, the pond is pretty expensive.

What was supposed to be an exciting addition to my landscape has turned into a 10 month long nightmare.  Incredibly poor workmanship and reliability.  This nightmare will end in court about a year after the ordeal started.  Contract signed 1/30/13.  Work commenced shortly thereafter.  Contract states 26k down payment, 7300 at excavation completion, 7300 once pond complete, 7300 once pump, bog, trees,clean up are complete.  Final payment divided into 3 installments (3/31,4/30,5/30).  Work proceeded at a nice pace until the final $7300 payment was made for pump, bog, tree installation, and cleanup were complete.  This payment was made 2/26.  At that time I was told the crew needed to take a few weeks off to set up, staff, and tear down the flower and patio show.  I made this payment partially in "good faith," since the service had been so good up to this point.  In reality, the pond, bog, pump, trees, and cleanup were not complete.  I was told to fill the pond and they would return to finish the job.  I ran a pump for 10 days to fill the pond.  The show ended and weeks went by... the crew did not return.  As I waited, I noticed the size of the pond seemed small.  I tried to convince myself it was an illusion.  Finally I purchased a tape measure and measured the pond.  It was about 1200 sf smaller than the contracted size.  When I brought this to their attention, the response was less apologetic and more "oh... you caught me."  After discussing several solutions, the resolution I finally got from Cool Ponds was to reduce the price by the reduced size of the pond.  Frustrated... I accepted this offer. Due to other concerns, I was told to pump the pond back out.  The crew has not spent a cumulative 10hrs working on my project since.  They have cited various reasons... they're busy with other jobs, the weather is bad, etc.  I have completed grading projects in the yard since then with little difficulty.  Plenty of work opportunities have passed... no crew.  To date, my driveway has not been graded by Cool Ponds as promised and there are half a dozen places in the yard that need to be repaired from heavy equipment damage.  The grading that has been done around the pond is not mowable as promised in the contract.  I have come to the point where I've even offered to let Cool Ponds out of the contract... pay out and walk away.  I offered to do the grading myself... not interested.  They will not return my calls and don't seem to want to finish my project.  Finally, Steve decided he would quit the project.  He told me my pond is finished.  The bog has barely been started, the waterfall is not set and foamed so the water only flows over 30% of it, and the pond is still grosely undersized.  Now I must pursue him in court. 

For the past Month, Steve Wicker has continued to misrepresent the size of the unfinished pond installed and the quantity of materials used.  He has made false statements about components he claims to have installed... apparently believing if it's buried, I can't prove it's not there.  I attempted to resolve the issue through the BBB and the IN attorney general's office, but those efforts failed because Steve submitted false information about the dimensions of the pond and work completed.  To my surprise, the services offered by these agencies do not extend beyond mediation, and that is completely voluntary.  They do not verify any of the information submitted.  Steve's statement to the BBB and attorney general was that the pond is 4600 sf and that all contracted work has been completed.  This is clearly false information, but the agencies would not pass judgement.  I am now forced to hire a surveyor to verify the pond size and and go to the trouble and expense of pursuing Steve in court.  I encourage anyone considering Cool Ponds for a project to take my story into account, and to proceed with caution.

The "fine print" (attached) in my contract with Cool Ponds states that the dimensions listed are for the longest and widest points of the pond and that the finished pond will be smaller due to boulders and variations in the edges to make for a natural appearance.  I completely agree with this statement, as a pond is not a rectangle.  I would have expected AT LEAST the outermost points in my pond excavation to reach the dimensions listed on the contract.  I certainly paid for that much liner.  The water could even be a couple feet narrower in places to account for gravel, boulders, etc.  However, the outermost points in my pond excavation when measuring the width are AT LEAST 12 feet narrower than stated in the contract.  Half of the pond length is almost 20 feet narrower.  The resulting pond is 1500 sq ft smaller than I was promised.  Because Steve has consistently lied about the dimensions, I hired a private survey company to evaluate the pond.  Their survey results are attached, and they support my claim.  Per the recommendation of my attorney, I had another professional pond installation company evaluate the mess Cool Ponds left in my yard.  My request was simple... please give me an itemized estimate for what it will cost to finish this pond according to the original contract Steve Wicker drafted.  The owner of this company (who is familiar with Cool Ponds), could not believe he was looking at their work.  Upon investigation, it was discovered that none of the plumbing required for a bog filtration system was installed in the bog above the waterfall.  There was one 4in perforated field tile laid in the gravel, but it was not hooked up to anything.  In addition, the gravel was only inches deep in most of the bog and the liner was torn.  The overall estimate to repair and finish my pond was well over $20,000.  That figure doesn't even address the fact that the pond is 1500 sf too small.  Please also keep in mind this evaluation was done by a pond installation professional, who is an expert in bog and pond installation.  

Upon first introduction, Steve Wicker is a very personable individual.  He seems genuine and instills an immediate sense of trust.  Contract aside, trust is a cornerstone in any business relationship.  It can easily mean the difference between a wonderful experience and a nightmare... whether you're job is small, or $56,000 like mine.  I will caution anyone not to carelessly place their trust in Steve and his company.  He will ask for a large deposit, and quickly try to obtain as many payments as possible.  Then, he will steer the project to maximize his profit.  If any component of your install is to be buried, make sure you see it before he buries it.  Steve likes to work when you're not home, so he can make any claim he wants about what's buried under your install.  He will deceive you with a smile... so please be careful and save yourself some headaches.

I saw them at a show and was impressed, but when I call them it wa different story. They were less than pleasant on the phone, and I would not call them or use them again. I wound up doing the work myself instead.

I received the screens in a timely manner, but I did not receive the staples with it. I called the store, and they told me that they would mail them to me. I promptly received the staples, along with a few novelty gifts (koi pen and magnet) and a $10 store gift certificate as an apology.

They're a great company. There is nothing I dislike about them. I like their quality of work and after the installation, they were always ready to answer questions and be helpful.

This particular visit was to attend one of the highly successful pond classes they hold. They have both free and pay-for classes, but the cost on the pay-class is always very cheap (this one also included lunch, discount on supplies that day and a T-shirt). This class was an all-day class to learn everything from the ground up (literally) on how to layout and construct a pond. By day's end, our class had built a gorgeous pond. I usually attend their "Fall Festival", which is a very informative day filled with in-store specials and advice on how to maintain your pond for the winter. They also have a follow-up class in the spring for opening your pond. Other classes to enjoy are how to properly install underwater lighting, fountains, waterfalls....etc. Cool Ponds offers everything you would need for any type of water-scape, for any size yard, and any size budget. All of their ponds onsite have a price for the do-it-yourself-er, or they come out and install for you.

This is a great store, very experienced staff. We have bought a pond kit and lots of supplies, as well as taken classes there in the past - most of them free, and found them to be very helpful, especially the "build your own pond" class, which had a modest registration fee. This store has everything you need to build and service a water feature. We have been using them for about 2 years and have always been happy with the product and service.

I was greeted by one of the employees and offered assistance, but definitely not pressured. After a few questions, he quickly assessed my level of experience with ponds and not only answered all my questions, but provided help and knowledge I would not have even known to ask. Cool Ponds has a large variety of ponds on site, plus their sales staff is experienced themselves in setting up and owning ponds. They offer free classes on how to set up and care for your pond, or they offer to do the installation for you. Their prices are posted up front right on the type of ponds you choose, so you know what you're getting. They have a lot of helpful material provided at the store, too. Their prices are very reasonable on plants and fish. Cool Ponds has definitely become my place-of-choice for all my pond needs.

COOL PONDS (STEVE WICKER) PERFORMED THE WORK AS AGREED AND WAS VERY COOPERATIVE WHEN IT CAME TO RESOLVING MY CONCERNS. THEY WERE GOOD ABOUT KEEPING THE AREA CLEANED UP. THEY DID THE WORK WHEN AGREED IN THE DURATION AGREED.

COMPANY WAS RESPONSIVE AT POOL AND PATIO SHOW, TWO PHONE CALLS AND ONE WEEK LATER SCHEDULED WORK. HURRIED PLUMBING JOINTS AND PROJECT SHUT DOWN. WE REPAIRED PLUMBING, THEY RETURNED 7 TO 10 DAYS LATER. PROJECT PAID FOR IN FULL AND WATERFALL HAD SERIOUS LEAK. SENT EMAILS AND MADE PHONE CALLS TO GET REPAIRED. WE PROVIDED MATERIALS FOR REPAIR. WORK INADEQUATE SO WE COMPLETED THE JOB.

OWNER STEVE CAME FOR INITIAL ESTIMATE ON THE POND AND CLEAN-UP YARDWORK, AND MAILED A WRITTEN ESTIMATE THE NEXT DAY. HE CHARGES FOR THE CONSULTATION, BUT APPLIES IT TO THE BILL IF YOU USE THEIR SERVICE. WE WENT WITH ANOTHER COMPANY FOR THE YARDWORK BECAUSE THEY COULD COME SOONER, BUT STEVE SEEMED MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PASSIONATE ABOUT PONDS. HIS PRICE WAS ALSO MORE REASONABLE. THE CREW DID A NICE JOB WITH THE AESTHETICS OF THE POND, BUT IT STILL LEAKED AFTER THEY REBUILT IT. THEY CAME BACK IN TWO DAYS AND REPLACED THE OLD LINER, AT ADDITIONAL COST. THE REDO WAS NOT DONE AS CAREFULLY, SO WE'VE HAD TO MODIFY THE STONE PLACEMENT OURSELVES. WE WISH THE LEAK BUSINESS HAD BEEN HANDLED BETTER, BUT ITS A TOUGH CALL. THEIR STORE HAS ALL THE POND PLANTS, FISH AND EQUIPMENT ONE NEEDS, AND THEY HAVE CLASSES AND A NEWSLETTER. THESE ARE VERY NICE FOLKS ,WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP AT EVERY TURN. IF YOU WANT AN ECO-POND WITHOUT CHEMICALS, CALL COOL PONDS (NEW NAME).

STEVE WICKER WAS VERY NICE AND DID A GOOD JOB. THE PRICE WAS A LITTLE HIGH, BUT WE WERE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS. THEY SAID WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL SPRING TO PUT DOWN GRASS SEED IN THE MUDDY AREAS, SO THEY SPREAD STRAW OVER THOSE AREAS. CHAD ZWART IS THEIR DESIGNER. HE'S A VERY NICE GUY, AND HE BROUGHT OUT QUITE A TEAM OF VERY HARD WORKERS. WE LIKED THE DESIGN HE DID FOR US. THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF WORK INVOLVED AND SOME OF IT IN SOME DIFFICULT AREAS TO FIT. THEY DID A NICE JOB. THEY USED ALMOST FIVE SKIDS OF PAVERS. THEY SOLDIERED THE CURVED EDGE AND IT TURNED OUT VERY PRETTY. I BELIEVE IT TOOK THEM LESS THAN A WEEK TO COMPLETE THE JOB. WE WOULD DEFINITELY USE THEM AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

STEVE WICKER WAS VERY NICE AND DID A GOOD JOB. THE PRICE WAS A LITTLE HIGH, BUT WE WERE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS. THEY SAID WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL SPRING TO PUT DOWN GRASS SEED IN THE MUDDY AREAS, SO THEY SPREAD STRAW OVER THOSE AREAS. CHAD ZWART IS THEIR DESIGNER. HE'S A VERY NICE GUY, AND HE BROUGHT OUT QUITE A TEAM OF VERY HARD WORKERS. WE LIKED THE DESIGN HE DID FOR US. THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF WORK INVOLVED AND SOME OF IT IN SOME DIFFICULT AREAS TO FIT. THEY DID A NICE JOB. THEY USED ALMOST FIVE SKIDS OF PAVERS. THEY SOLDIERED THE CURVED EDGE AND IT TURNED OUT VERY PRETTY. I BELIEVE IT TOOK THEM LESS THAN A WEEK TO COMPLETE THE JOB. WE WOULD DEFINITELY USE THEM AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

CUTE STORE. THEY HAVE LOTS OF CUTE THINGS, BUT I CANNOT GET ANYONE TO RETURN MY CALLS OR MESSAGES IN ORDER TO PURCHASE THEIR PRODUCTS. THEY MUST BE INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY AND NOT NEED THE BUSINESS.

TO WORK WITH STEVE & STACY WICKER IS LIKE WORKING WITH FATHER AND MOTHER EARTH, STEVE DID THE ''HARD'' WORK WHILE STACY HAD THE EYE FOR ''COLOR''. STEVE REVIEWED AND REWORKED THE DESIGN TO FIT THE AREA AND OUR NEEDS. THE WICKERS ARE VERY CUSTOMER FRIENDLY, VERY EASY TO WORK WITH AND WERE ALWAYS OPEN TO NEW IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS. STEVE IS A ''10'' ON PLEASING THE CUSTOMER AND IS VERY AWARE OF HIS STAFFS ACTIONS WHICH I FOUND TO BE VERY PROFESSIONAL, WHICH IS SOMETHING NOT FOUND TODAY. STEVE HAS MADE RETURN TRIPS BACK TO THE AREA TO CHECK ON THINGS AND HAS CORRECTED THINGS THAT DID NOT PLEASE HIS WORK STANDARDS. WE RECOMMEND EDGEWOOD LANDSCAPE TO ALL WHO VIEW OUR NEW AREA AND FEEL THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD BE NOTED WITHIN ANGIE'S LIST AS A PREFERRED CONTRACTOR. MY HAT IS OFF THE THE WICKERS FOR THEIR FINE WORK. STEVE AND HIS STAFF WERE ALWAYS FRIENDLY AND PLEASANT TO WORK WITH.

TO WORK WITH STEVE & STACY WICKER IS LIKE WORKING WITH FATHER AND MOTHER EARTH, STEVE DID THE ''HARD'' WORK WHILE STACY HAD THE EYE FOR ''COLOR''. STEVE REVIEWED AND REWORKED THE DESIGN TO FIT THE AREA AND OUR NEEDS. THE WICKERS ARE VERY CUSTOMER FRIENDLY, VERY EASY TO WORK WITH AND WERE ALWAYS OPEN TO NEW IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS. STEVE IS A ''10'' ON PLEASING THE CUSTOMER AND IS VERY AWARE OF HIS STAFFS ACTIONS WHICH I FOUND TO BE VERY PROFESSIONAL, WHICH IS SOMETHING NOT FOUND TODAY. STEVE HAS MADE RETURN TRIPS BACK TO THE AREA TO CHECK ON THINGS AND HAS CORRECTED THINGS THAT DID NOT PLEASE HIS WORK STANDARDS. WE RECOMMEND EDGEWOOD LANDSCAPE TO ALL WHO VIEW OUR NEW AREA AND FEEL THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD BE NOTED WITHIN ANGIE'S LIST AS A PREFERRED CONTRACTOR. MY HAT IS OFF THE THE WICKERS FOR THEIR FINE WORK. STEVE AND HIS STAFF WERE ALWAYS FRIENDLY AND PLEASANT TO WORK WITH.

VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. WORKING WITH STEVE HE PROVIDED EXCELLENT GUIDANCE IN THE REUSE AND RELOCATION OF ALREADY EXISTING MATERIALS AND ALSO IN THE SELECTION OF THE REPLACEMENT MATERIALS. GREATLY APPRECIATED HIS EMPHASIS ON USING EXISTING PLANTS AND JUST RELOCATING THEM AND CLEANING UP THE AREAS. JOSH IS A GREAT CREW FOREMAN AND WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND. STACI THE OFFICE MANAGER WAS ALSO VERY HELPFUL. LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM AGAIN IN NEAR FUTURE WITH OTHER PLANS (COMPLETE LAWN RESTORATION AND ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING).

I LEARNED TO ASK WHAT YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY. I THOUGHT A LANDSCAPING PLAN WOULD HAVE SCALE DIMENSIONS AND SOME PICTURES OF THE PLANTS THEY RECOMMEND. I RECEIVED NEITHER. I THOUGHT I WAS PAYING FOR A SIDE PLAN TOO FOR SOME PAVER STONES AND ALL I RECEIVED WAS A QUOTE ON COST. THIS COMPANY IS PROBABLY FINE BUT IF ALL YOU WANT IS A PLAN, AS MANY DO IT YOURSELFERS DO, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GIVING YOU BEFORE YOU PAY THEM.

I LEARNED TO ASK WHAT YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY. I THOUGHT A LANDSCAPING PLAN WOULD HAVE SCALE DIMENSIONS AND SOME PICTURES OF THE PLANTS THEY RECOMMEND. I RECEIVED NEITHER. I THOUGHT I WAS PAYING FOR A SIDE PLAN TOO FOR SOME PAVER STONES AND ALL I RECEIVED WAS A QUOTE ON COST. THIS COMPANY IS PROBABLY FINE BUT IF ALL YOU WANT IS A PLAN, AS MANY DO IT YOURSELFERS DO, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GIVING YOU BEFORE YOU PAY THEM.